Kudos to Cold Steel (yup, you read it right)

3Guardsmen

3Guardsmen

Joined
Mar 16, 2005
Messages
3,652
Kudos to Cold Steel on a very well-designed knife, the American Lawman!

I know I'm probably one of the last people on BF that would be expected to say nice things about Cold Steel, given that I've been a rather vocal critic, but I try to be as fair as possible, and in this instance, I think Cold Steel (and Andrew Demko and his lock design) did a great job.:thumbup:

A friend gifted me a Cold Steel American Lawman. I got a chance to put the knife through its paces, and I've got to say, it is very well designed. I am rather curious about what makes it especially suited for Law Enforcement work, as opposed to general utility, as it has a blade and handle design well suited for general utility work. In fact, I think this knife would make one heck of a folding hunter, as it appears to share the blade style of the Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter, and has what I feel is probably a much stronger lock and a better overall grip.

The knife is made in Taiwan, and as many should know by now, the Taiwanese know how to make a very decent knife. The blade steel is AUS-8, which I've always found to be perfectly acceptable in a knife that will see plenty of hard work. I found the handle to be very comfortable in different styles of grip. The Tri-ad lock looks to be plenty strong, and I wasn't able to detect any blade play, vertically or horizontally. Overall, I have to say Cold Steel did a great job designing this knife!:thumbup:

Regards,
3G
 
I've never held one but the Tri-ad lock seems very solid and I always thought the Lawman looked like a solid design. You have good friends:). Congrats!
 
The Teflon coating may be a drawback. Teflon coatings seem to wear off fairly easily. A TiNi or DLC would probably hold up better.
 
3Guardsmen said:
Kudos to Cold Steel on a very well-designed knife, the American Lawman!

I know I'm probably one of the last people on BF that would be expected to say nice things about Cold Steel, given that I've been a rather vocal critic, but I try to be as fair as possible, and in this instance, I think Cold Steel (and Andrew Demko and his lock design) did a great job.:thumbup:

A friend gifted me a Cold Steel American Lawman. I got a chance to put the knife through its paces, and I've got to say, it is very well designed. I am rather curious about what makes it especially suited for Law Enforcement work, as opposed to general utility, as it has a blade and handle design well suited for general utility work. In fact, I think this knife would make one heck of a folding hunter, as it appears to share the blade style of the Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter, and has what I feel is probably a much stronger lock and a better overall grip.

The knife is made in Taiwan, and as many should know by now, the Taiwanese know how to make a very decent knife. The blade steel is AUS-8, which I've always found to be perfectly acceptable in a knife that will see plenty of hard work. I found the handle to be very comfortable in different styles of grip. The Tri-ad lock looks to be plenty strong, and I wasn't able to detect any blade play, vertically or horizontally. Overall, I have to say Cold Steel did a great job designing this knife!:thumbup:

Regards,
3G
Click to expand...

Wow... Just wow...

I think the end of the world is nigh...
 
You're not alone..
Cold Steel American Lawman (Taiwan) and the
Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter (Japan) are both excellent quality,
very well built work knives for the price (about $70.00).
I also like the Voyager series..

I prefer USA made, but these are great non-american built knives.

Lawman: 3.5" AUS8A blade - Ultimate Hunter: 3.4" VG1 blade
Cold-Steel-58AL-rw-7644-31192.jpg
Cold-Steel-61LPS-rw-11611-20153.jpg
 
Well since your at it the Pocket Bushman Is a Beast of a Folding Knife. The Lock is a bit Strange but once you get used to it, it's very strong! I like the Bowie style blade as well. Won't ever be a EDC type knife, but a great folding camp/utility knife!:thumbup::thumbup:
DSC02033.jpg

DSC02037.jpg
 
While I'm not a huge fan of their marketing tactics, Cold Steel does make a lot of nice stuff in the medium range.
+1 on the Pocket Bushman. I bought mine on a whim, and it turned out to be a great $27 well spent. Very strong lockup and makes a great heavy duty folder when out and about.

Also, color me surprised at the build quality of my zytel Ti-Lite. I bought one of these just for fun a month or two after the PB. Smooth opening, tight lock up, zero bladeplay. Great folder that rides nicely in my boot.

CS won't get the lion's share of my blade dollar by any means, but I will give credit where credit is due. Taiwan knows how to make a fine functional folder.
 
macgregor22 said:
Only held one but its on my list.
The handle has some great ergos, even for my large hands.
Click to expand...

I have large hands also. Great ergos, agreed.
The Ultimate Hunter has handles made out of
a material called Thermorun. I have never held
a knife this comfortable to hold, very secure grip.
You don't want to put it down. Blade came razor sharp.
(Have not had it long enough to measure handle wear).
So far so good.. Seems to be built like a tank.

Photo: CS Ultimate Hunter and a BM Griptilian:
CSBM.jpg
 
Last edited:
wow I didn't know you could get a Cold Steel for walmart knife money

I will have to persue this option... Do really have my eye on a Ti-Lite...
 
+1 to the Cold Steels mentioned! I really dig the Pocket Bushman! Talk about one hella tank! Take one on a camping trip, leave it open and have it. The fun just doesn't stop!
 
Regarding the Pocket Bushman:
Do the bottom edges of the handles dig into your hand at all? The metal looks to be a bit thin...

Was considering getting one to try it out, but would like to know the handle ergonomics/comfort before I do...

Thanks!
Mike
 
TheFlash said:
Regarding the Pocket Bushman:
Do the bottom edges of the handles dig into your hand at all? The metal looks to be a bit thin...

Was considering getting one to try it out, but would like to know the handle ergonomics/comfort before I do...

Thanks!
Mike
Click to expand...

Handle's is a but thin and slippery but the metal edges are rounded so does not dig as much as you would expect.
 
You know, I may give that Pockt Bushman a try, as it looks pretty neat. I'd rather have it with an SK-5 blade, like the fixed blade versions, but I still think I'll give it a try.

Regards,
3G
 
I would like to see the Pocket Bushman with a better blade too. and I would love to see one side by side with the Mercator K55, from which it is copied.
 
I just can't believe how happy I am with this knife! It is really well built and very well thought out. If you're looking for a strong, hard-working, utility folder that could easily double as a superb folding hunter, the Cold Steel American Lawman is a really tough knife to beat!

Babakanoosh45,
Thanks for the great pics of the Pocket Bushman! It has been added to the list of knives I need to get.

440hard,
Thanks for the pics and description of the Ultimate Hunter. That one's on my radar now, too, though with the blade being so similar (except being .5 mm thicker) to the one on the American Lawman, I don't know if I really "need" it, but I may get it anyway, just to compare Cold Steel's AUS-8 to their VG-1.

Regards,
3G
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top